Appliance for transportation of coal or other supplies, chiefly designed for ships at sea.



No. 676,|43. r Patented June II, 190i.

G'. O. MACKROWO. H. G. CAMERON. A APPLIANCE FOB TRANSPORTATION OF COALOR OTHER SUPPLIES, CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR SHIPS AT $EA.

(Applicatiqn fi ed 1711:. 8, 1901.)

(no Model.) s Shasta-Sheet I.

O O O O O O O O m: nuRRls nnms co. Pno'ro uruo" WASNWETON, a. c

I No. 676,!43. Patanted' lune I901.

a. c. MACKROW & H. a. CAMERON. APPLIANCE vFUR TRANSPORTATION 0F COM. OROTHER SUPPLIES, IIHIEIFLY DESIGNED FOR SHIPS AT SEA.

A pnmicn filed Jan. 3, 1901. (No llodalJ. 4 aets-Sheet 2.

Q: a weiy I 120- I w v Wit/165a; I/KIlZ'O/S No. 676,!43. atented lunell, l90l.

' G. C. MACKROW .& H, G. CAM V N. APPLIANCE FOR TRANSPORTATION 0F COALOR OTHER SUPPLIES. CNIEFLY DESIGNED FOR SHIPS AT SEA.

(Applicaxioh filed Jan. s, 1901; (no mouel. 6 Sheets-Sheet 3.

No. 676,|43. A Patented June 1;, 19m;

a. c. MACKROW & H. a. CAMERON. APPLIANCE FOR TRANSPORTATION 0F GOAL OROTHER SUPPLIES, CHIEFLY 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Inventors 14: gm

mum

(Application filed Jan. 8, 1901.)

DESIGNED FOR SHIPS AT SEA.

(loNodqL) 7 Patented ru e ll', I9'0l. G. O. IIIAOKROW &. H. G. CAMERON.

APPLIANCE FOB TRANSPORTATION OF OOAL OR OTHER SUPPLIES, OI'IIEFLYDESIGNED FOR SHIPS AT SEA.

(Application filed Jan *8, 1901.)

No. 676,l43. Y Patented lune u, 190:. N a. c, MACKRDW & H. a. CAMERON. jY APPLIANCE FDR TRANSPORTATION 0F COAL OR OTHER SUPPLIES, CHIEFLYDESIGNED FQRSHIPS AT SEA.

6 Sheets-$heet 6.

N (No Model.)

(Apphcahou filed Jan. 8, 1901 Ila/altars Tu: nonin' mug ca, vacuumwnmmnon, a c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE COLBY MAOKROW AND HERBERT GEORGE CAMERON, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

APPLIANCE FOR TRANSPORTATION 0F COAL OR OTHER SUPPLIES, CHIEFLY DESIGNEDFOR SHIPS AT SEA.

SEEGEFIQAEIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 676,143, dated June 11, 1901. 1 Application filed January 8, 1901. Serial No. 42,545. (Nomodem ments in Transporting Apparatus, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention has for its object to provide means for transporting coalor other supplies from one ship to another (or from a ship to the shore,or vice versa) when the distance over which the supplies are to betransported cannot be kept constantas, for instance, when coaling abattle-ship from a collier or transport when both are under way.

According to our invention we employ an endless traveling rope fortransporting the coal or the like in suitable receptacles, the said ropepassing around sheaves or-pulleys on each of the ships, and in orderthat a practically uniform tension of the said rope shall be maintained,notwithstanding the distance between the ships varying, we provide aweight supported by and on the said rope, the said weight rising whenthe ships recede from one another and falling when they approach, and inorder that the varying movements of the weight shallbe small relativelywith the corresponding movements of the ships the rope is arranged topass around a system of pulleys.

In carrying out our invention we provide a vertical trunk or jib, inwhich the weight is suspended on the traveling rope, a series of freesheaves orpulleys being fixed in the upper part of the trunk and on theweight around which sheaves the endless rope is passed in succession,and which may be termed store-pulleys, as they carry so much of the ropeas is not being utilized in so far as the actual distance between thetwo points The weight may consist either of solid metal or of a tankcontaining water, built up of plates, if found desirable, and theendlessrope may be driven from any convenient position along its length,but preferably by a sheave attached to the trunk or jib and operatedby-a motor. The trunk or jib is advantageously arranged so that it canbe slued or turned on a vertical axis, so as to allow the ships to varytheir relative positions without stopping the coaling operation, thesheave or pulley on the ship being supplied being also arranged to turnon an axis to correspond. To prevent the weightin the trunk or jibfalling by reason of the traveling rope being suddenly cast oif orbreaking, a series of wire ropes is arranged in the trunk or jib,

and passing through the center of the weight, which ropes are designedto be seized by a grip on the said weights the instant the latter beginsto descend at a greater speed than the normal workingspeed. Toprovideagainst accident to the trunk or jib should an exceptional straincome upon the traveling rope, we arrange the sheave on the ship beingsupplied to throw off the rope automatically.

For the transmission of the bags or packages Of coal or other storesfrom the transport we make use of a series of double hooks, one memberof each of which is a slip or disengaging tongue or hook normally lockedby a spring-catch and the otherafixed hook, the former being designedfor engagement with a suitable hoisting-gear and to engage the out v rgoing part of the traveling rope, while the latter is designed to slideupon an inclined bar or rail which we term ashunt-bar and which servesfor directing the hook onto the rope after being released from thehoist. The said hoisting-gear advantageously consists of a series ofrollers or trolleys secured to two endless wire ropes passing aroundpulleys, the rollers or trolleys running in pairs in grooves fitted in acasing on the trunk or jib, On a small shaft carrying each pair ofrollers a shackle is fitted, onto which the bags of coal or the like arehooked. The slip-hook when reaching the shunt-bar becomes disengagedfrom the hoisting-gear by its spring- The double any required-position.The empty bags are returned in a similar manner on the returning part ofthe traveling rope. As the shuntbar and the double hook for supportingthe bags are applicable for use in conjunction with other systems ofrope transport besides that herein described, we have embodied thesefeatures in an application filed of even date with this application andgiven Serial .No, 42,546, so that no specific claim will be made to themherein, they being simply included in order to illustrate the completeworking of our apparatus.

To enable our invention to be fully understood, we will describe it byreference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a viewillustrating a battle-ship beingsupplied with coal from a collier ortransport according to our invention.

right-angles of the vertical trunk or jib on the-transport. Figs. 4-and5 are respectively sections oil-the lines-4 4and 5 5, Fig. 2. Figs. Band7 are vertical sections at right angles oftheweight supported by thetraveling rope and also showing part of the trunk or jib. Fi'g S is asection on the line 8 8, Fig. 6. Fi-g.;9 isasectional elevation of adevice in connection with the safety-grip on the said weight. Fig. 10 isa diagrammatic view illustratingithe way'in which the traveling ropeisewou-nd around the sheaves in the trunk andon the weight containedtherein. Figs. Hand 12 are sectional elevations at right anglesaof themeans for hoisting the bags containing the coal or the like and of therail or bar for shunting the same onto the traveling rope. Figs. 13 and14 are views at right anglesof'a detail of the same. Fig. 15 is a sideelevation of thepulley for the travelingrope on;th=e -ship receiving thesupplies and of the shunt-bar for the reception ofthe bags from the saidrope. Fig. 16 is a sectional plan of thesame. Figs. 17 and 18 areelevations at right ang les of the double hook by which the bags forcontaining the supplies are supported'on the traveling rope, and Fig.19. is a sectional elevation of the same. Figs. 2 and 3 are drawn to alarger scale than Fig. 1, Figs.

4'to 8, 11 and 12, and 15 and 16 to a larger scale than Figs. 2 and 3,and Figs. 9, 13, and M -and 17 to 19 to still larger scales. V

A is the ship or transport containing the coal or. other supplies, and Bthe ship to be supplied.

(t is the traveling rope for carrying the bags b'b, containing the coalor the like, the said ropepassing around and being driven by a pulley'con the transport A and around another pulley don the ship B.

' e, Figs 2, 3, 6, 7, and 8, is the weight which is-suspendedon and bythe traveling rope a, and .f is the trunk or jib on the transport A inwhich the weight 6 is housed and which carries the pulley-c. The saidweight is advantageously guided as it rises and falls (owing tovariations in the distance between Figs. 2 and- 3 are respectivelyvertical sections at 'its connection with the driving-pulley 0. By

reference to this figure it will be seen that the pulleys '5 i and jjare divided into two groups of three each. Each of the groups of thepulleysjj is arranged below and practically in alinement Withone of thegroups of'thepulleys i 4;, and the pulleyc is arrangedbe-tween :theplanes of the saidgroups, but atright-=angles thereto. To wind thepulleys'withthe rope a, the bight between the outgoing and incomingportions of the rope is taken and passed over the outside pulleysof thegroups It' '21, down and under the outside pulleysof the groupsjj, upand over the intermediate {pulleys of the groups 7 2', down and underthe intermediate pulleys of the groupsjj, up and overthe inisd'e pulleysofthe groups 2' t, down .under the inside pulleys of the groupsjj, andfinally-up and resting inthe upper part of the driving-pulley 0.Although we haveshown on the drawings six pulleys t' 2' and six pulleysj j, it is clear that more or less of each can be employed, theproportion between the relative movements of the ships and the conse-ICO 'quent rise and fall of the weight e beingvaried according to thenumber of pulleysemployed. Any suitable motor may be employed f01driving the rope a. In the drawingswehave illustrated a steam'engine 70for the purpose, as shown in Fig. 2. The said engine is mounted on theside of the trunk fand drives-the pulley c from the crank-shaft Z of themotor through the medium of the worm m on the said shaft, the worm-wheeln, pulley 0, connected to the wheel 11., chain 2), pulley q, pulley 1",connected to the pulley q, chain 3, and pulley 25, connected with thepulley 0 through the medium of the variable-speed gear 0.

The trunk f is arranged to be slued or turned upon a vertical axis, ashereinbefore described, and for this purpose-the lower part of the saidtrunk is advantageouslyprovided with a central pivot u, engaginga-bearing '0, fixed to supports in the hold of the transport, and alsowitha peripheral bearingring w, bearing upon antifriction-rollers-a;as,running on a circular track 1/, also fixedto supportsin the said hold.tainedin its vertical position bya bearing-ring 2, some distanceaboveits base, between which ring and a corresponding ring 1 on oneofthe decks of the transport is arranged a seriesof antifriction-rollers2 2, connected by rings 3 3, supported by anti friction-rollers4 4on atrack 5 on the said de'ckr For sluing the trunk we advantageouslyprovide the circu- The trunk ismainlar-toothed rack 6, supported by thedeck of the ship and having in gear with it a pinion 7,

designed to be operated from the engine 70 through the medium of theworm. m and worm -wheel at, hereinbefore' described, and gear-wheels 8,bevel-wheel 9, bevel-wheels or 11, shaft 12, worm 13, and worm-wheel14,connected to the pinion 7. The wheels 10 and 11 are connected together,so that either can be engaged with the wheel 9 in order to rotate orslue the trunk in one direction or the other. By arranging the trunk ftobe slued the ships can vary their relative positions without interferingwith the coaling op-- eration. The pulley (Z on the ship B is alsocapable of movement to coincide with that of the trunk f, and for thispurpose it is carried by a bracket 15, Figs. 15 and 16, hinged at 16 toanother bracket 17, attached to the said ship and preferably to the mainmast, as shown.

To supply steam to the engine 75, we advantageously arrange a pipe 18,Fig. 2, one end of which is in connection with the source of supply,while the other end is connected to a recess 19 in the bearing 4, whichrecess communicates with an opening 20 in the pivot it, to which isconnected one end of the pipe 21, the other end being connected to thesaid engine. By this arrangementa flexible pipe connection is avoided.

22 22, Figs. 2, 3, 7, and 8, are the wire ropes, and 23 23 the grips,which we employ for arresting the weight 6 should it fall by reason ofthe rope a being suddenly cast off the pulley d or breaking. The saidropes are attached to the upper and lower parts of the trunk f and passbetween the grips 23,which are pivoted at 24 24 within a casing 25,attached to perforated pistons 26 26, working in oil-cylinders 27 27 inthe weight 6. The grips have their opposing and gripping surfaceseccentric with their pivots, so that if the said grips be turned upwardfrom the position shown in Fig. 6 they will grip the ropes 22 22, theirupward movement being limited by stops 28 28. This upward movement isadvantageously obtained by connecting the said grips by the one ends ofchains or the like 29 29, the other ends of which are connected to acasing 30, Fig. 9, detachably connected with the weight e,'for instance,by a projection 31 on the said casing engaging a socket on the saidweight. This casing contains a centrifugal governor 32, the spindle ofwhich carries a pulley 33, around which a rope 34, connected with theupper and lower parts of the trunkf, makes one or more turns, so thatthe normal up-and-down movements of the weight on the trunkfcause thesaid pulley to revolve. The governor is so constructed that these normalmovements do not affect the positions of the weighted arms thereof. If,however, a high speed is imparted to the said governor-arms, owing tothe weight e falling for the reasons above stated, they will fly out andcause projections 35 35 thereon to engage in a groove or recesses 36 36,so-as to arrest the movement of the pulley 33, which being encircled bythe rope 34 will be held thereby,and consequently prevent the casing 30following the downward movement of the weight 6, which therefore tendsto leave the said casing suspended on the said rope. As, however, thegrips 23 23 are connected to the said casing by the chains 29 29, thelatter will lift the grips and engage them with the ropes 22 22, so asto gradually arrest the weight j in its movement through the medium ofthe pistons 26, working in the oil in the cylinder 27.

For throwing the rope (1 off the pulley d on the ship B in case anexcessive strain should come upon it, and so prevent accident to thetrunk f, we advantageously form the bearing 37, carrying the saidpulley, separate from the bracket 15, and we pivot it therein, as shownat 38, and provide the said bearing with an arm 39, which is locked tothe said bracket by a pin 40, passing through lugs 41 41 on the bracketand through a hole on the said arm 39. The pin is of such a section thatit will withstand the strain due to the normal tension on the rope a;but if, say, twice this strain be exceeded the pin will be sheared bythe arm 39, and consequently allow the latter to turn on its pivot 38and throw the rope a off the pulley d.

42, Figs. 17, 18, and 19,-represents one of the double hooks forsupporting the bags of coal or the like during transmission, 43 beingthe slip or disengaging tongue or hook which engages with the rope a,(or hoisting-gear, as hereinafter described,) as shown in dotted linesin Figs. 17 and 19, and 44 the fixed hook. The tongue 43 is pivoted at45 within a slot 46 in the stock or body 47 of the device and is lockedin the position shown in full lines in Fig. 19 by a spring catch ortrigger 48. The inner face of the said tongue 43 forms an acute anglewith the stock 47, so that the rope a. or the like becomes wedgedbetween the said parts and so the hook 42 cannot slip thereon. By thisarrangement when the hook 42, carrying a bag, passes a suitable strikingplate or bar, as hereinafter described, the catch 48 comes into contactwith the said striking-plate and allows the tongue 43 under pressure ofthe rope a or the like to turn on its pivot into the position shown indotted lines in Fig. 19, so that the said hook 42 becomes released fromthe said rope or, a spring 49 returning the tongue 43 to its normalposition (which is determined by a stop 50) when clear of the said rope.

The gear for hoisting the bags and the shunt-bar for conveying them fromthe gear to engage the traveling rope or is shown in Figs. 2, 4, 11, and12. The said hoistinggear comprises a series of rollers or trolleys 5151, secured in pairs to two endless ropes 52 52 by cross-shafts 53 53,the said rollers being guided in grooves 54 54 in a casing 55 on thetrunk f. 56 is a shackle on each of the shafts IIO 53, to which shackletheslip-h 4 Onthe, 5

bags of coal orthelike are connected: The ropes 52 52 pass aroundpulleys 57 57 and 58 '58, tlieformer serving to drive the ropes andtrolleys by engaging the shafts 53 53 by means ofnotehes 59 59. Thepulleys 57 57 are advantageously mounted on the same shaft as shunt-baris connected to the casing 55 by a I bracket6l, and the other end of-thebar en gagesthe outgoing part of the traveling ropea by rollers 62 62. vIn' order that the bar 60 can move in accordance with any oscillatorymovements of the rope a, it is connected to the bracket-61 bya-universal joint 63. (Shown clearly in detailat Figs. 13 and 14.)

64lis the striking plate or bar with which the catch 48 oneach hook 42,carryinga bag of supplies, comes into contact when arriving at the upperpart of the hoist, so that the sliphook 43 is disengaged from theshackle 56 and the fixed hook 44 consequently causedito e'ngage theshunt-bar 60, down which it slides to the lower end, the slip-hookthenengaging the traveling-rope a. The space between the fixed hook 44and the stock 47 of the double book 42 is sufficiently large to allowthe said hook to slide freely on the shunt-bar 60, and the incline ofthe shunt-bar is suchthatthe bag. of supplies attains approximately thespeed of the traveling rope by the time it reaches the latter, therebyavoiding shock 65, Figs. 15 and 16, is the shunt-bar, and 66 thestriking-plate on the ship B, thesaidbar beingjointed to a bar 67,advantageously pivoted to the bearing on the bracket 15 and bearing'bymeans of a roller 68 on the incoming part of the rope a.

For bringing the bags of coal or other su 5 plies into position beneaththe shackleson the hoist in the transport we advantageously employ ahorizontal conveyer consisting in thisinstance of a circular rack ortrough 69, Figs. 2 and 3, into the after side of which the bags areplaced, the rack being continuously revolved around the trunkj' bysuitable mechanism. In the said figures we have shown the said rack asbeing revolved from one of thegear-wheelsS through the medium of thegear-wheels 70 71, pinion 72, and circular toothed rack 73 on the trough69.

74, Fig. 4, is an inclined shunt-bar, and 75 a striking-plate connectedto the casing 55 through the medium of a bar 76, jointed to the saidcasin g and engaging by means-of rollers 77 77 on the incoming part ofthe rope a, the said mechanism serving to disengage the returned emptybags from the saidlpart' of the rope a andv divert them to the requiredpart of the ship A.

78 78 are guide-pulleys on the casing 55,

between which the ou'tgoin'g-andincoming .parts of the rope pass.

The operation of the mechab-ism-herei-nbefore described is as followsthat is no say, "therrope a is set; in m'obion by-the engine 70 throughthe medium of the pulley c, andjzhe ;bags of coal or other suppliesbrought into 1 position beneath the hoist onthe transport A are engagedby means 0t their slip hooks 43 with the shackles 56. When the bagsarrive at the top of the hoist, the catches 48 come intocontactwith thestriking plate or bar 64 and release the slip-hooks 43 from theshackles,

so that the fixed hooks 44 engage the shu nt-bar 60 and slide down thelatter and engage with the traveling rope a by means of the slip-hooks,as herei-nbefore'described. The bags are then carried by the rope to theship 13, where the catches 48'come into contact'with the strikingplate66 and release the slip-hooks from the rope a, so that the fixed hook-s44engage the shunt-bar 65, down which-they slide with the bags to thedeck or other part-of the ship; The bags when empty are thenen-gagedwith'the outgoing partof the rope afrom the ship B,and whenarriving back to the ship -A the catches 48-come into contact-with thestriking-plate v 75, so as to release the slip-hooks 43 from the rope aand allow the fixed hooks 44 to engage the bar 74, down which theyslidewith-the bags-to the required part of theship. At'the v same time thatthe rope a is transporting the bags of suppliesthe required tension ismaintained by-the weight 2, the said weight rising and falling tocorrespond with any variation of the distancebetween the ships; Afterthe transporting of supplies is finished the bight of the rope a isreleased from the pulley d on the ship B and hauled in and stowed on-theship A,

Havingnow particularlydescribed and ascertained the natureof oursaidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed,

we declare that .whatwe claim is 1. In a transporting apparatus, thecombination with an endless rope for transporting and sustaining loadsduring their transit, devices for supporting said rope at separatedpoints capable of movement toward and :from each other, said devicesincluding a vertically-disposed trunk provided with guides, of atension-weight in said trunk engaging said guides, means for attachingsaid weight to said rope to accommodate difierences in the distancebetween said supporting devices,

and driving mechanism for said rope, substantially as described.

2. In a transporting apparatus, the combination with the endless ropeand devices for supporting it at separated points, of a tension-weightengaging said rope, to accommodate it to variations in the distancesbetween said separated points, a supplemental supporting means for saidweight, and means for automatically transferring the support of saidweight from 3 said rope to said supplemental support, to prevent theweight from falling in case of a sudden release of the said rope betweensaid separated points, substantially as described.

3. In a transporting apparatus, the combination with an endless rope andmeans for supporting it at separated points of a tensionweight engaginga portion of said rope to accommodate it to variations in the distancesbetween said separated points, supporting devices for said weight havinga sliding engagement therewith, gripping devices for said. supportingdevices carried by said weight, normally out of operative position butadapted to be thrown into operation upon the sudden falling of saidweight, substantially as described.

at. In a transporting apparatus, the combination with an endless ropeand means for supporting it at separated points of a tensionweightengaging a portion of said rope to accommodate it to variations in thedistances between said separated points, supporting devices for saidweight having a sliding engagement therewith, gripping devices for saidsupporting devices carried by said weight and normally out of operativeposition, a governor connected with said gripping devices, andconstructed to throw said grips into engagement with said supportingdevices, upon the accelerated downward movement of said Weight,substantially as described.

5. In a transporting apparatus, the combination with an endless rope andmeans for supporting it at separated points of a tensionweight engaginga portion of said rope-to acf nected with said gripping devices forthrowing them into operation upon the accelerated downward movement ofthe weight to prevent its falling, substantially as described.

6. 'In endless rope transporting apparatus the combination with theendless rope of a Weight suspended upon the said rope and two series ofstore-pulleys around which the rope passes one of which series is fixedrelatively with the weight while the other series is attached to theweight and under variations of distance between the points between whichtransport is being effected rises and falls with the said weight,substantially as described.

7. The combination with an endless rope carried by pulleys fortransporting supplies between objects thedistance between which isconstantly varying, of a weight suspended upon the said rope, two seriesof store-pulleys around which the rope passes one of which series isfixed relatively with the weight while the other'series is carried bythe weight, a trunk or jib for carrying the said series of pulleys andweight and capable of rotation on a vertical axis and asupporting-pulley in the bight of the rope most remote from the trunkcapable of movement around a vertical axis so as to constantly maintainthe same position relatively with the rope, substan tially as described.

8. In endless rope transporting apparatus wherein a suspended weight isarranged in combination with store-pulleys the combination with the saidweight of a pairof pivoted grips having eccentric surfaces and connectedto pistons working in cylinders containing a liquid, fixed ropes passingbetween the grips and a governor connected to the grips and having apulley encircled by a fixed rope and lugs on the governor-arms designedto engage a groove or recesses in the governorcasing when the weightmoves at an abnormal speed, substantially as, and for the purpose, setforth.

9. In a transporting device, the combina tion with an endless rope anddevices for supporting it at separated points, capable of movementtoward and from each other, of a tension-weight engaging said rope toaccommodate variations in the-distance between said supporting devices,means for operating said rope, an elevating apparatus having its upperend above said rope and a shunting device for transferring loadsautomatically from said elevating apparatus to said rope, substantiallyas described.

10. In a transporting apparatus, the com bination with an endless rope,and means for supporting it at separated points, of a tension deviceengaging said rope to accommodate it to variations in the distancesbetween said points, means for operating said rope, an elevatingapparatus, a horizontal conveyer adjacent to the lower end of saidelevating apparatus, adapted to carry the loads thereto and automaticdevices for transferring the loads from said elevating apparatus to saidrope, substantially as described.

11. In a transporting apparatus, the combination with the endless rope,and a support for the same, of a second support comprising a pulleyengaging a bight of said rope, a support for said pulley provided with abreakable part, constructed to break under abnormal strain to releasesaid rope, substantially as described.

12. In a transporting apparatus, the combination with the endless rope,and a support for the same, of a second support comprising a pulleyengaging a bight of said rope, a pivoted support fol-said pulley, abreakable part holding said pivoted support and pulley in normalposition and constructed to break under abnormal strain to permit thesaid pulley to turn on its pivotal connection and throw off the rope,substantially as described.

13. In a transporting apparatus, the combination with the endless rope,and a support for the same, of asecond support comprising a pulleyengaging a bight of said rope, a pivoted support forsaid pulley providedwith a. shearing-arm, a breakable pin engaging said arm, and constructedto withstand normal strains,whereby when subjected to abnormal strainsaid arm will break said pin and permit the pulley to swing on itspivotal connection to throw off said rope, substantially as described.

14. In a transporting apparatus, the combination with avertically-disposed support, I pivoted vertically, of an endless ropesupported-thereby, atension device for said rope, and a second supportfor said rope at a distance from said first-mentioned support, andpivoted vertically, whereby said support may bemaintained in line withthe portions of the rope between saidsupports, substantially asdescribed.

15. In a transporting apparatus, the combination with avertically-disposed support, pivoted vertically and means for rotatingsaid support upon its pivotal connection, of anrendless rope connectedto said support, a tension-weight for said rope, engaging and beingguided vertically by said support, anda-second support for said rope ata distance from said firstrnentioned support and pivoted vertically,whereby said supports can be maintained in line with the portions ofsaid rope between them, substantially as described.

16. In a transporting apparatus, the combination with avertically-disposed support, pivoted vertically and means for moving itupon its pivotal connection, of an endless rope connected to saidsupport, a tensionweight engaging and being guided by said support, asecond support for said rope at a distance from said vertical support,an elevating apparatus adjacent to said vertical support, automaticdevices for transferring the loads from said elevating apparatus to saidrope, an annular horizontal conveyer surrounding said vertical support;adjacent to the lower end of said elevating apparatus and means forrotating said conveyer; sub

stantially as described.

